Glen Johnson Wants to be Up-Front

Glen Johnson has told The News that he would love to play up-front again one day. He had originally joined West Ham at the age of ten as a striker!

Glen said;

'I signed for West Ham as a centre forward when I was 10 and played there until I was 15. Then I went to centre-half. By the time I broke into the first team I had been actually playing right-back for just a year.

'But I was always a striker and scored quite a few goals. I was strong, quick and powerful and really enjoyed it up there, it was great. I actually only started playing football properly when I was 10.

'I was playing for the school and the teacher told my mum she might like to look to get me into a club. She saw an ad in the paper saying my local Sunday league team, the YMCA, needed players so she sorted it out for me.

'I went along and that was it. It took off from there. I got six goals in my first two games and then a West Ham scout gave my mum a card, so I went for trials and was obviously signed on. I was there from the age of 10 until I was 18.

'I did well up front for them as well. Then one day our centre-half got injured and the coach asked me to do a job so I did. It wasn't our permanent coach either.

'But after that our coach Dave Knowles kept me there and eventually I made the switch to right-back. Not that I mind playing in defence.

'I actually prefer right-back to centre-half or midfield. Obviously I can defend and get forward and do a bit of both. But I was initially a striker and wouldn't mind going up front again. Who wouldn't really? Everyone loves scoring goals.

'Having said that, though, it would be a completely different level to when I was 10 years old. Still, I would definitely enjoy it.'

The funny thing is, is that Sol Campbell joined Tottenham as a striker. He was also named in the euro 1996 squad as a striker, believe it or not where the manager at the time Terry Venables played him as a defensive midfielder, when England where short in that position. Tottenham then started playing him in that role before eventually making him centre back.